Posts in the Sports genre

Coach/player relationships hit about a thousand of my buttons, which is why I was so excited to write one in Coach’s Challenge. I have a thing for any kind of forced proximity romance (snowed in a cabin! Marriage of convenience!), and the secrecy inherent in the Coach/Player dynamic makes it super hot. But, as the title of the book suggests, it’s also not the easiest – and here are some reasons why!

Alone time is hard to come by. Especially in the ECHL – hey, you’re on a bus with a lot of other guys, in a locker room with a lot of other guys, staying in a hotel with a lot of other guys….you get the picture. Throw in the adrenaline rush post-game and how do you find the perfect place where you won’t be interrupted to indulge in some sexy hotness? It’s one thing in your own locker room, but if you’re away in some strange state, in a city you’re not familiar with and an arena that isn’t yours…those dark corners aren’t always easy to come by! Also, hockey players wear a lot of gear. If you’re secret boyfriend is a goalie, you’re gonna have to wait a few minutes for him to get all that gear off before anything sexy can happen.

Locker Rooms aren’t made for trysts. Seriously, it’s all hard benches, cold floors, lockers and smelly equipment. Not exactly the most conducive to a sexy moment, right? Showers are all right there in the open and everything, too. You’re going to have to be pretty creative. Besides, let’s say you work something out and find a way to get it on…then you’re going to be stuck having inappropriate thoughts about the many uses of skate laces during the pre-game speech.

A coach’s job is to offer both praise – and critique. While this is great for a player’s on-ice development, relationship wise? It can be a little tricky. If you’ve got a coach with some strong opinions – and who’s used to shouting them out in the moment – then that might lead to some complications in intimate situations. Hearing a critique of your passing techniques is one thing…but no one wants a diagram about their bedroom skills and how they can be improved when they’re in the middle of things.

Hockey has some of the most unintentionally dirty lingo in sports, and that might lead to some embarrassing interruptions when you’re not really in the mood for an audience. Because your teammates might hear the coach telling you why he wants you to “get it in deep” and not think anything about waltzing right in and interrupting you.

If you’re a coach, you’re going to be watching your secret boyfriend playing hockey in a lot of situations…both good and bad. And if you’re a hotheaded coach, you might take exception to the guy on the other team who just tripped your boyfriend on the ice. Especially when he has the puck, and a clear lane to the goal. And if your boyfriend gets that game winner in OT that wins your team a championship? You can’t really kiss him senseless without everyone knowing what’s up.